For the past few weeks I’ve been having an issue with fruit flies. Every year when I’m busy harvesting fruits and veggies from our garden…the fruit flies appear. This year, those buggers are worst than ever and driving me nuts! Seriously, I can’t stand fruit flies and hate them with a passion!
Last year I purchased a few different fruit fly traps at three different retail stores. One of them helped and the other two were a complete waste of my money. The one that did help, cost me almost $9.00. Well, I’m frugal and I wasn’t about to spend that type of money again this year.
We decided to make our own DIY Fruit Flies Traps and guess what? They worked like a charm! Within 24 hours our problem was under control.
Here’s how you can get rid of those nasty fruit flies and make your own DIY fruit fly traps!
Glass Mason Jars (we used jelly jars)
Metal Mason Jar Rings
White Poster Board
Scissors
Tape
Bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar
Assemble your glass mason jars, set aside. Using the white poster board, make yourself a paper funnel. We used clear shipping tape to assemble the funnels as it held better than regular Scotch tape.
Pour Apple Cider Vinegar into each glass jar. We added 1 1/2″ of the vinegar which worked well for this size of jar. You’ll want to insert your funnel into the jar. You will need to trim the funnel tip with scissors, so that it sits about 1 1/2″ above the apple cider vinegar line. Make sure your funnel fits tightly inside the jar (along the jar’s edges).
That’s it! The fruit flies are attracted to the sweet smelling apple cider vinegar. They fly down into the jar and then get trapped, they don’t find their way back out through the funnel. Every 2-3 days you’ll want to change out the apple cider vinegar and replace it with fresh. I dump mine down my kitchen drain and then rinse it through with tap water.
I keep one jar sitting on each of my two kitchen counters and one jar sitting on my kitchen island. You can sit these jars around other areas in your home if you’re seeing those pesky critters in those rooms too. Just keep them out of the reach of children & pets…as I don’t think drinking it would be cool. LOL
We’ve been using these easy-to-make DIY Fruit Flies Traps for the past 3 weeks and they’ve worked perfectly! If you want some inexpensive apple cider vinegar for this project, pick it up at your local dollar-type of store.
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I do not have a problem with fruit flies this year, but I shall remember this solution for the future. Thanks.
Does it have to be poster board or can it be just a sheet of paper? Don’t have poster board on hand and am anxious to get rid of these little pests as soon as possible!!!
It can be any sturdier type of paper. You can cut up cardboard from a cereal box or shoe box too.
Sounds like by doing this I will save money for me so thanks
It definitely works. You can use any size glass jar. I keep 2 out on my kitchen counters any time I have fresh fruit and/or veggies sitting out. I put them through the test at the beginning and within 2 days each of my 2 jars had at least 10 dead fruit flies inside them.
I have not had a problem with fruit flies this year but have in previous years. I tried this exact same DIY method and found that it really worked. What a relief.
As I sit here at my computer, the little buggers keep being attracted to the screen. I will be making one of these tomorrow. Thanks.
This is a clever DIY Project.. Fruit flies can drive you crazy! This is great to know.. This year I am dealing with little teeny weeny ants.. My kitchen counters are soft gray almost white with darker shades of specks throughout Sometimes hard for me to see. Have to watch to see if any of the specks move! lol~ I use bleach and water to clean my counters that seems to help! ave a Great Day!